Veterinary mouth



2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

M U L U .m R EW Mm L Aw PM Bm .A 0m Dw. E ml. E V

No. 404,652. Patented June 4. 1889.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. E. PALMER. VETERINARY MOUTH SJPEGULUls/L Patented'June 4,1889.

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N. PETERS. Plwlo-Lnnogrlpiwr. Washington, D. C-

UNITED STATES PATENTA OFFICE.

CHARLES E. PALMER, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

v VETERINARY MOUTH-SPECULUIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,652, dated June 4,1889.

Application filed March 25, 1889. Serial No. 304,634. (No model.)

To all whom t 77mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. PALMER, of New Haven, in the county ofNew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inVeterinary Mouth-Speculums; and I do herebydeclare the following, whentaken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters ofreference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification,and represent, in-

Figure l, a side view of the speculum complete; Fig. 2, a top view ofthe same, the jawplate arms turned the one to the right and the other tothe left for convenience of illustration; Fig. 3, a vertical centralsection. Fig. et illustrates the operation of the speculum; Figs. 5 and6, modifications; Fig. 7, the speculum as in use.

This invention relates to a device for holding the jaws of animals in anopen position for veterinary purposes, the object being a constructionwhich may adjust the extent of openingof the mouth, prevent possibleaccidental closing, and yet leave the mouth fully exposed forexamination; and it consists in the construction as hereinafterdescribed, and particularly recit-ed in the claims.

A B represent the two jaw-pieces. These should be made curved, as seenin Fig. 2,001'- responding substantially to the curve of the frontportion of the jaw. The jaw-piece Ais pivoted to the end of an arm C andthe jawpiece B pivoted to the end of an arm D. The other ends of thearms terminate, respectively, in threaded screws E F, turned toward eachother and at right angles to the plane of the jaw-pieces A B. Thesescrews E F are right and left hand and work into the opposite ends of ahandle G, which is correspondingly screwthreaded, and so that therotation of the handle in one direction will draw the two arms C D andthe j aw-pieces they carry toward each other, or turned in the oppositedirection will force them farther apart, as indicated in broken lines,Fig. 3. The working or the outer surface of the jaw-piecesrshould becushioned. To do this, as represented in Fig. 3, the jaw- .peces arerecessed. upon their bearing-faces and a cushion H, of india-rubber,inserted therein.

To use the speculum, the jawpieces are brought toward each other to theproper extent, the mouth opened, andL the jaw-plates set between theteeth, the jaw-plate B bearing upon one (the lower) jaw and the otherplateA bearing against the other (the upper) jaw. Then the handle G isturned to force the screws E F outward, the jaw-plates movvingcorrespondingly until the mouth is opened to the required extent. Inthus setting the speculum the handle will naturally stand at the front,as seen in Fig. 4; but after the jaws have been opened to the requiredextent the handle, with the arms, will be swung to one side, asindicated in broken lines, Fig. 4, so as to leave a clear spaceinto themouth between the jaw-plates.

The pivot of the jaw-plates not only permits the swinging of the handleto the right or left, but permits the plates to adj ust themselves tothe respective jaws, and because of swinging the handle and arms to oneside or the other after the jaws are properly opened both jaws will beheld against lateral movement, which might occur with the handledirectly in front.

The speculum may be made with the jawplates rigidly attached to thearms, so as to have no swinging motion; but I prefer to pivot the platesfor the reasons I have described vand for other obvious reasons.

Instead of constructing both arms C D with screws, so as to work in thehandle in opposite directions, the screw on one maybe omit ted, thehandle working on that arm as a pivot, and so as to be rota-ted, andunder such rotation will force the other arm outward. This modificationis represented in Fig. 5; or the screws on both arms may be omitted, theends of the arms secured directly to the handle, as

seen in Fig. 6, the jaw-plates pivoted to the arms, and the mouth openedby hand, so as to insert the speculum. Then' the handle,y

with the arms, may be turned to one side, as before described.

I claiml. A mouth-speculum consisting of a vertical handle provided witharms extending from the respective ends of the handle, combined withjaw-plates pivoted to the end of said arms, substantially as and forthel purpose described.

TOO

2. The combination of the two jaw-plates, arms extending from saidplates, the outer ends of the arins turned toward and into line witheach other, a handle arranged upon the said ends of the arms and so asto rotate thereon, one of the said arms screw-threaded, and the handlecorrespondingly screw-th readed, and whereby under the rotation of thehandle the said arms and the jaw-plates separate or approach each other,as the ease may be, substantially as described.

3. A mouth-speculuni consisting of a pair of arms, with means,substantially such as described, for supporting,r the said arms distantfrom each other, a j aW-plate pivoted upon the ends of said arms, thesaid jaw-plates provided with india-rubber cushions, substantially asand for J[he purpose described.

CHARLES E. PALMER.

VitneSseS:

FRED C. EARLE, LILLIAN D. KELSEY.

